Ferry Girl
by Page1229
Summary: Botan had some stops to make before she first met Yusuke. What is her job really like? New chapter posted. Botan's job after the events of the entire show.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: don't own a thing.

Ferry Girl

Hello everyone, my name is Botan. I like long walks on the beach and soaring through the sky on my oar. Oh I'm sorry, I got a little ahead of myself and did not explain. You see I'm the pilot of the River Styx, though I guess most people would call me the Grim Reaper, and I work for Reikai which is where humans go to be judged when they die. My job is to escort them to my boss Lord Koenma. Though Koenma may look inexperienced, I assure you he has been working long enough to know exactly what he is doing.

One thing I have learned from all my years on the job is you always try to keep smiling even when things look grim. I'll admit I did not always follow this and let my true emotions show but you always have to try your best. I know the Grim Reaper position isn't a very cheery job but you have to stay positive, if not for yourself then the person who has just passed.

"Botan, you have your list now collect those souls," Koenma would tell me. On one particular day, I was handed my list and was about to soar off when Koenma stopped me. "Hold on Botan, I have one more name to add." This was unusual because the toddler prince always finished the lists before sending the Grim Reapers off to collect. He held out his hand and I gave him my little book that contained the list; he made a note in it and handed it back.

"Sir," I asked shyly. "Was there something important?"

"No no," he waved his dimpled hand at me. "Just a new addition that can be addressed when you get to it. Off you go." I raised my blue eyebrow but turned and left.

I collected many people that day, very few stick in your mind after a while. But one set always stays because of how sad but precious they are: the babies. I usually pick up two or three a day, but that day I only had one. A little new born who died just as he left the womb, poor thing. His mother was heartbroken and my heart went out to her as I arrived at the hospital. I entered through the open window- though it doesn't matter when you're a spirit, you can just faze through walls after all- and the woman was lying in the bed, her eyes seemed hollow and everything about her said she was broken. She never focused on one thing for too long, always seeming to look out into the distance.

A nurse was standing in the room with a bundle of blankets in her arms. I dismounted my oar and approached. Humans only see a lifeless body but when I looked the child's eyes were open and he was crying.

"There there little one," I crooned as I lifted his spirit into my arms. His eyes were such a stunning blue, almost as bright as my hair. I did not look at his physical body, once I had removed his soul I knew I would see his corpse. I did not want that on my mind. I wrapped him in the sleeves of my pink kimono and cradled him against my chest. "It's okay," I continued to comfort. "You're going somewhere safe where you will be loved and cared for forever."

Sometimes as a Grim Reaper, you have to meet spirits who are stubborn and cannot be calmed by just words. This baby was one of them; he still cried. I was forced to sing him a lullaby that would keep him quiet until we made it back to Reikai:

Baby don't cry,  
Listen to my  
Sweet lullaby.

We cannot stay  
Let me take you away

To a wonderful place  
Full of beauty and grace

Where the angels sing sweetly  
And the years pass so fleetly

So let me embrace,  
Caress your sweet face

Listen to my  
Sweet lullaby.

Works like a charm every time; unfortunately, it only works on infants. Older children and adults are pains to deal with. His eyelids drifted closed. His face seemed so sweet with rosy cheeks and a pouting lips. I summoned my oar and left through the window, his spirit snuggled into my kimono.

—

"I told you I ain't leaving!" an old soul shouted at me. My next stop was a nursing home where an old man had a heart attack. One of the more stubborn spirits.

"Mr. Kudo please," I begged. "The afterlife isn't bad- Yikes!" I ducked as he tried to hit me. Honestly, I don't take it personally because his description said he was always a bit temperamental. Combine that with his heart condition and it's a wonder he made it to ninety-three.

"I ain't leaving and that's that!" He crossed his arms and glared at me with beady sunk in eyes. His hair was completely gone, making his shriveled scalp look like a raisin.

I put my hands up. "Now now, let's not jump ship just yet. Have you ever considered this might be a good thing? You don't have a heart condition anymore." He grunted, still set in his position. "You're going somewhere a hundred times better than this place considering you were a reasonably good person, temper aside." I whispered that last part to my self. Still no response. I opened my book to find out more about him. Very little seem to be in there until something caught my eye. "You'll get to see your wife again." Bingo!

Mr. Kudo dropped his arms and his expression softened. "Eri? I'll get to see my Eri again?"

"Yup," I answered brightly. The description said his wife died over fifty years prior; they had just gotten married when she took ill and passed. Apparently Mr. Kudo never married again after her death.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!" He jumped onto my oar so quickly it was hard to believe he was an old man.

—

My final stop before seeing the person Koenma added to my list was a girl in her mid teens. I entered her bedroom and saw her sitting on the bed; she had dark red hair and green eyes.

"About time somebody came," she huffed. I could see her body hanging from a rope tied around her ceiling fan. "You took your sweet ass time."

"Oh dear," I gasped. This girl was going to cause problems. Teens who commit suicide not only make things worse on themselves but on their families and Reikai. Koenma will have extra paper work to file now.

"So who are you? You're too bright to be anyone important. Are you like a ghost of a cheerleader or something?" She started picking her nose with her pinkie.

"I'm Botan, pilot of the River Styx," I introduced. "I'm here to take you to Reikai where you will judged."

"Great," she rolled her eyes and flicked the contents of her nose onto her corpse. "I'm going to Hell and they send me a prep to escort me."

"Excuse me?"

"Listen princess, I offed myself so I wouldn't have to deal with people like you. Girls who are all bright and shiny and bubbly, making everyone love them because they're so perfect. I thought the afterlife would be different but I guess not." She stood up and walked over to her body with a regretful look. "I guess it wasn't such a good idea after all."

I got off my oar and walked over to her. "What made you think it was? Doing something like this," I indicated her still hanging form, "it never makes anything better, just worse. Your mom and dad and brother love you and this is how you want them to find you?"

"You wouldn't understand," she scoffed.

I crossed my arms. "I've been at this longer than you think, you're not the first mopey teen I've had to take to Reikai." I pulled my book out of my kimono and flipped to her page. "Arisu Fujii, age fifteen, homeschooled. You've lived a sheltered life along with your little brother. Well behaved until three months ago when you met a certain delinquent named Ryo who became your only friend. He taught you how to drink, gamble, and even had you rob a few stores with him. You found out you were pregnant with his child and he left, leading to this cheery situation you've landed yourself in. I hope you understand that not only did you kill yourself but also your child and now your family will have to mourn over a poor girl who did not know what she was doing at the time." I closed the book and tucked it back inside my robe. I placed my hands on my hips and gave the girl a stern look.

Her eyes filled with tears and she whispered, "I'm sorry." I opened my arms and she came into an embrace. Her tears soaked my clothes but I did not care. I held her until we heard her family return home. I knew if we stayed she would not be able to move on, so I summoned my oar and off we went to Reikai.

—

Koenma's special stop for me was now my only priority. "Oh my," I gasped as I saw a commotion going on in the street. There were paramedics and bystanders everywhere, crowding a red car that was at a full stop in the middle of the road. The car had a dented hood and a smashed windshield. I opened my book to make sure who I was taking to Reikai. There was the note Koenma scribbled in before I left.

-Botan

This case is very important and I need you to follow my instructions. First let me tell you who this "special" person is: Yusuke Urameshi, a deliquent who gave up his life trying to save a little boy. This case is so special because no one could have predicted what he was going to do. My sources had just informed me of his death right as you walked into my office. Now, I need you to bring Yusuke back here so we can give him a second chance. All of his information is in this book.

Good luck, you'll need it- Koenma

I looked back down into the street and saw the paramedics carry a small boy. Lowering myself next to the ambulance, I saw the boy was still breathing and only had a few scratches. However, there was a body on a stretcher with a blanket over it. I could not see his face but it did not matter, I would see his ghost soon enough.

I heard yelling somewhere above me and saw a body floating in the sky. That had to be him. I levitated so that I was behind a dark haired boy in green who was muttering and shouting at himself.

"Wait," he mused, still unaware of my presence. "Does this mean I'm a GHOST?!"

"Bingo, bingo, you win the prize," I announced. He turned with such a shocked expression I could not help but giggle.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: I had only planned on this being a one-shot but I could not help myself.

Hello again. I'm sorry it has been so long, what with Yusuke being Spirit Detective, attending the Dark Tournament, practically tearing my hair out over the issue with Sensui, but I'm sure your all very understanding that a girl can only take so much. I won't bore you with details but I'm afraid I have a trip to make to Ningenkai soon.

Koenma called me into his office to hand me my new list. "Botan," he hesitated, the little book still in his hand hovering over his desk. "I need you to be professional about this."

"Sir?" I asked timidly.

"Do you remember when Genkai first passed after her fight with Toguro? Well, you were not in the best state after that and I know she was close to you but now you need to be keep a distance between yourself and one of your passengers. Am I clear?"

I bowed. "Yes Koenma." There was a knot in my stomach. His words clearly implied there would be another incident like with Genkai's first passing. Genkai was gone now, a second time, and I had handled that with very little problems. Who was I leading here now?

Koenma must have sensed my apprehension, his eyes softened and his words came out with more kindness and less authority. "Just like before Botan, go down the list and deal with the problem as it comes."

"Yes Koenma." I left his office with a bit of worry; I had to stop myself several times from looking ahead on the list.

—

Such a beautiful morning, the sky was a perfect blue with fluffy white clouds. I giggled as I soared through the floating pillows, getting drenched from the water they contained. I did not care, the sun was warm and the breeze was gentle so I dried quickly. I always enjoyed looking at the ground and seeing the city laid out like a toy set, the people on the ground were ants.

My first stop was at a children's hospital. I entered one of the rooms and saw a lifeless young body but no spirit. That was not unusual because children tend to wander even after death. The child in the bed was a little girl with blonde curls. Her illness had sunk in her cheeks and added a grey tint around her closed eyes. I looked at my book and found her description:

Name: Kiyoko Ono  
Age: 7 years  
Family: Mother, father is deceased, two older sisters.  
Likes: music, kittens, and peppermints.  
Dislikes: bugs and violence.  
Wishes: wanted to be a teacher.  
Cause of Death: Leukemia

Laughter could be heard from down the hall. I left the room and walked toward the noise, sure I would find the girl's ghost. The laughter was lighthearted and high-pitched, I must have been walking towards the playroom. When I entered, there were about twelve children scattered around the room in small groups playing with toys or watching television. One child stood out for two reasons: first was because she was being excluded from all groups, and second was because no one seemed to even notice her existence.

"Goro, can I play with you? Please? I promise I won't cry this time if you knock over my blocks." She walked over to another child and began pleading for attention. "Gina, do you want to play tea party? Gina?" The poor thing looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"They can't hear you," I quietly replied as I walked up to her. "I'm afraid no one can hear you."

Kiyoko gazed at me in confusion. "But you can hear me?"

I nodded. "I can hear and see you Kiyoko, but nobody else can. I'm sorry, but you're no longer a part of their world."

Her eyes filled with panic. "What do you mean?"

"Kiyoko," I placed my hands on her shoulders and knelt so I was eye-level. "You passed away from the living world this morning and I need to take you to Reikai so you can be taken somewhere safe and warm. Somewhere where children just like you go: to Paradise."

The girl was shaking her head, tears streaming down her now rosy cheeks that in life had sunk in. "No, I can't leave! Kids don't die! I can't be dead! Kids don't die!" She was chanting this more to herself and her body trembled from her sobs.

"Shh," I pulled her into my arms and held her. "I know this isn't easy to accept, but you need to so you can move on. You're going to be fine Kiyoko. I promise. You'll be with your father again and someday the rest of your family will be there too. Heaven is a wonderful place where you can play as long as you like and see places you've always wanted to see. You can live like a princess or be a teacher for the other children like you always wanted. You won't be sick anymore and you won't see your other friends from the hospital die too. You'll see the ones who have passed in Heaven as they were before they were sick." Her sobs became weaker and her body shook a lot less. "I'll be there to visit. I never leave my good passengers behind. We can play all you want."

She looked up at me and a smile rose to her lips. "Do you promise?"

"Yes."

She held up her little finger. "Pinkie swear," she ordered.

I giggled softly and linked my pinkie with hers. "Pinkie swear."

—

Oh, another car accident. According to my list, both drivers of both cars died in the collision. An ambulance and a fire truck were on the scene as bystanders gathered. Head on collision, both cars had an impressive amount of damage to the fronts and both windshields were shattered. Neither driver was wearing a seat belt so both were sent flying out of their seats.

Two ghosts were shouting at each other, one a man and the other a woman. Their shouting match was incredible, filled with accusations and insults.

"Women are horrible drivers! What the hell were you even doing? Putting on makeup?"

"Oh, look at Mr. Perfect Driver! Your cell phone was in your hand the whole time!"

"I was talking to my boss to let him now I was going to be late. Now I'll never get there and finish all that paperwork thanks to you!"

"Like I didn't have somewhere to be! I'm missing my niece's birthday, ass!"

"C-"

"Hey hey hey!" I dropped into the argument, literally I dematerialized my oar so that I could stand between them. "There is no need for this; let's all just take a deep breath and calm down."

"Screw you!" the woman shouted at me.

"Who are you supposed to be?" the man asked in an irate tone.

"Botan, your guide to Reikai where you will both be judged by Lord Koenma to determine where you spend your afterlife." I could not help but feel a little pride, being the Grim Reaper was an important position after all and Koenma did say I was one of the best.

"So what, you're like the Grim Reaper?" the woman asked, her expression skeptical.

"That's right, and you both need to come with me."

"I ain't going anywhere with this woman!" He pointed a finger at the person in question. "She totaled my car and is the reason I'm dead in the first place!"

"What about you? I'm dead because you were too stupid to keep your eyes on the road!"

"LISTEN!" I shouted, surprising them and myself. "Oh, sorry about that. But it doesn't matter anymore, you're both dead. So you can either stay here and continue this pointless argument for all eternity or you can come with me and spend eternity however Lord Koenma sees fit. Now," I glared at them both. "Are you coming or not?"

They nodded, still speechless at my outburst. I summoned my oar and had them both get on behind me. I heard the man whisper, "She better be a better driver than you."

Oh brother.

—

"Oh Koenma, no," I groaned as I saw the name on the list that was obviously the one he warned me about. I could already feel the tears coming. "No please, not her not Keiko." Yusuke's wife of over sixty years, the spunky brunette I loved so much because she was the only person who could keep Yusuke in line. The girl with the brains and the hardest slaps known to Yusuke's face. Poor Yusuke, poor Keiko. Koenma's words played through my head again to keep myself distant.

"I can't," I told myself. "I can't take Keiko away, I just can't." My rule of trying to keep a cheery attitude was slipping.

I was floating outside the Urameshi household. There were a few cars that indicated Yusuke and Keiko's children were there. The house seemed deserted on the first floor and only one window had a light shining through on the second floor. I bit my lip, the window was wide open like an invitation. They would know I would come. A large part of me wanted to leave and have Koenma send someone else but I knew that would not be right. Keiko was my friend and I needed to be the one to take her.

I took in a deep breath and tried my best to smile. I couldn't tell if I succeeded or not but I floated into the home anyway. The open window led to a bedroom with a king sized bed. There was Keiko, laying in the middle with Yusuke at her side. Keiko's dark brown hair had faded to a light brown with grey strands here and there. Her pretty face had wrinkled a bit, but the laugh lines were the only ones really noticeable. Her brown eyes were unchanged, still holding that spark of determination and kindness. Her husband, the man I've known since he was a punk in junior high, still looked exactly the same as when I first met him. Though he was taller and more solidly built and there were spots of grey hair at his temples, he was untouched by time; being a half demon extends a normal human life span.

The couple had two children, one boy and one girl. They stood next to the bed with their significant others providing support. I'm glad none of the grandchildren were in the room but I could hear them playing down the hall.

"Hi Botan," Keiko greeted weakly, her thin lips turned up in a smile.

I could not breath, the pressure in my chest prevented me; I was trying so hard not to cry. Yusuke looked up, his eyes empty of their usual joy. "Long time, no see." Every his words were hollow.

I walked to the foot of the bed. I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak. "Are you ready Keiko?"

"Almost," she replied. She looked at Yusuke and held his hand tightly. The man who I had considered one of the strongest people I ever knew, gripped her hand with both of his.

"Keiko," he whispered. "I... I don't..."

His wife continued to smile warmly. "It's okay Yusuke. Everything will be fine. I love you. I always have and always will."

"Mom," their daughter choked out. "We all love you." Her brother nodded in agreement. Her husband wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Yes," Yusuke whispered. "We all do."

"I know," she gazed at her family with such maternal warmth. "Tell the kids I love them." Everyone nodded. Yusuke still had the look of a desperate man trying to cling to the only treasure he had.

"I won't keep you waiting for me this time Keiko," he promised fiercely. "It won't be like all those other times. This time you go and I'll follow."

"Don't make it sooner than it has to be Yusuke. I'll always wait for you, no matter what." She turned her gaze to me. "I'm ready." Her soul began to depart from her body, taking on the form of her more youthful self. Here was the Keiko I remembered. Her rich dark hair and sweet face made her look exactly the way she did the year after the tournament in Makai.

Being in a room full of spiritually aware people, everyone except the spouses of the Urameshi children watched Keiko as she climbed out of the bed in her younger form. Yusuke looked at his wife and seemed to became unfocussed. I could tell his mind wandered to happier times because his eyes misted over and he looked away.

Keiko walked up to me. "Don't be sad Botan." Her voice even regained its higher pitch.

My tears must have finally fallen, Keiko reached out to touch my cheek and wiped a moisture from under my lid. She took my hand and we walked over to the window. I summoned my oar and was about to mount it when my oldest friend in the room called out. "Botan," he said, looking up at me. "Take care of her." I could not reply but instead nodded.

Keiko held onto me as we soared through the sky. She was giggling and staring in wonder at the world below. "So this is what Yusuke saw when he first went to Reikai?"

"Yes," I finally managed. "But he didn't enjoy it nearly as much."

"Botan, since we're going to Reikai does that mean I'll see a lot more?"

I sat there in silence for a bit, trying to think of how to explain. "Keiko, there are different parts of Paradise that different people go to. Children and infants go to one part, teenagers and adults go to another. Sometimes the two groups can merge but only if the people in one group knows someone in the other. This is common so there are visits. But spirits like myself are only allowed in one part: the first part with the children. This is because some children grow attached to the ferry girls. I'm afraid that once Koenma has sentenced you, that will be it. We won't see each other ever again." My words hitched in my throat at the last word. I could feel tears coming to my eyes again.

Keiko was silent, no doubt mulling over what I said. We reached Reikai and Koenma sentenced Keiko to Paradise.

"Any woman able to handle Yusuke deserves no less," he said.

I walked with Keiko down the path that led to the Pearly Gates. At the gates, she turned to me and embraced me like I knew only a mother could: expressing as much comfort, warmth, and promise that everything-was-going-to-be-alright as she could. I broke down in her arms and she held me. All those times we spent together flooded my mind: watching her rescue Yusuke's body from the fire, helping her run from all the people that were being controlled by the Makai insects, talking to her in the hotel room before watching the boys fight in the Dark Tournament, our time at the beach after Sensui and the tournament in Makai. All those times I had tried to comfort and assure her that Yusuke was fine. Now she was holding me and letting me unleash all the sadness I had been holding back. Keiko was my best friend and I never leave people behind. But now she was leaving us all behind, but mostly me because there would be no way for me to see her again.

I cried into her blouse for I don't know how long before I could pull myself together. She gave me a smile and a whispered goodbye before she passed through the gates.


End file.
